Removing Red Dye or Red Wine Stains From Carpet   

 

    If your cat or dog leaves red stains in your carpet after eating, switch food. It's the red dye in their food that causes the problem. Dogs and cats are color blind. Switching to a neutral color food eliminates the problem.

 

      Remove red dye spots or red wine from carpet or clothing with a solution of 50% hydrogen peroxide to 50% water. *Always test a spot first for color fastness.* Blot the spot wait 15 minutes and rinse immediately with white vinegar and water.  Repeat if needed. Make sure your bottle of peroxide is fresh as old peroxide looses its fizzle.

 

*NOTE: Red dye stains are caused from dog or cat food, popsicles, Kool-Aid, punch or sodas.

 

This article may only be reprinted giving proper credit to Mary Findley and her website at www.goclean.com. All rights reserved world wide.

 

 

The Creative Edge

 

     People often ask me where I get so many ideas for using one tool to do a job for something entirely different. It is much like asking a craftsperson where they come up with ideas. Often times we get "stuck" in our thinking and see things only as they are and not allow the creative side of us to visualize other uses for an item.

 

     A broom to an adult is for sweeping but in the hands of a young child it can be a horse, the center pole of a "blanket" tent or a rail to line up dolls. Take the wire cubicals you put together in various shapes to hold anything from shoes to toys. Using two thin nails attach one to your bedroom wall. Decorate it with dried flowers or whatever hits your fancy and you have an excellent holding rack for earrings - if you have kept the earring holder. It will also hold your necklaces and scarves etc.

 

     I use them to dry my herbs by leaning one against a wall and looping herbs through the slots. Potatoes must have air circulating around them or they quickly rot so when I dug my potatoes this summer I placed the racks on top of  the cartons I get from vegitable farms. My spuds are content and holding up nicely. The rack provides that airing space and it was quite inexpensive.

 

     So get creative with things you have around your home. You will be surprised the number of uses you can find for things that were not designed for that job.

 

This article can only be reprinted giving credit to Mary Findley, co-author of "The Complete Idiots Guide to Cleaning" and her website www.goclean.com. All rights reserved world-wide.

 

CLEANING TIPS USING BORAX

 

One of the recent RV rallies I attended had a "flea market" where the attendees brought in different items they could sell. Among them was an old book titled "They Used To Say." Originally published in 1890 by Household Cyclopedia it has not been updated but was brought back out again in 1983. This book has more old time wisdom than you could ever find on the Internet. Many of the cleaning products recommended I would no longer touch but their suggestion on your health cleaning, cooking and general home care are priceless.

 

USES FOR BORAX

 

I have always known Borax was a good cleaner but here is a list of things it will do:

1) Softens hard water for washing clothes and whitens them without caustic bleach.

2) Soak your linens and lace tablecloths in it to remove any yellowing.

3) Make a paste and put over fruit or vegitable stains on tablecloths or clothing.

4) Clean your pots and pans to get them really shiny.

5) Soak your silver in a hot solution of it so you don't "cleanse it laboriously half so often."

6) Remove finger marks and dirt from wood-work.

 

Mary's Tip: Mix 1/2 cup Borax and a small amount of CleanEz in a bucket of warm water. Clean your awnings and patio furniture before putting them away for the winter.

 

The article may only be used giving credit to Mary Findley, co-author of "The Complete Idiots Guide to Cleaning"  and her website www.goclean.com

 

Fall Cleaning Tips     

 

    Be sure to pick up a copy of Woman's Day magazine Sept 12^th issue that is now at the stores. They have a wonderful article called "Our 50 All-Time Top Tips." Yours truly is in the magazine with several of my tips.  

    

Dirt on clothing left hanging in a closet

     Recently a woman wrote in asking how to get rid of the "dirt" marks that collected along the top of a few garments that had been hanging in the closet for several years. She had lost weight and now fit back into these clothes and was elated to be able to wear them again. Only they live in a dusty area and the shirts and blouses gathered dirt along the area where they came in contact with the hanger.  

     She purchased a bottle of my CleanEz and away went the dirt along with the soap residue on her shower walls a several stains in her carpet.

Storing Clothing   

    If you are going to be storing clothing for any length of time, it is far easier and safer to purchase the "space bags" that you find in places like Bed Bath and Beyond. Easy to use, the clothes can be stored without worry of bugs or dirt getting into the bag. Use them for storing little used or seasonal items such as Christmas and Thanksgiving linens. They fit quite nicely under a bed to stretch storage space.  

Fall Cleaning Tips

    Fall is the best time to do those cleaning chores we all tend to ignore. Next time you shower remove the shower curtains and toss them into the washer with the floor mat or a few towels. The towels or mat will help "scrub" them. Dry by simply hanging them back up.

    Remove your bed spread or cover then launder it along with the mattress cover if it can be laundered – do read the directions. They collect dust and dust mites. Dry the bed spread until it is about half dry then finish outdoors draped over your outdoor furniture or a fence. That fresh outdoor smell will linger a long time.  Vacuum the mattress after removing the cover. This is an excellent time to flip the mattress and then pull the bed out to thoroughly vacuum under the bed. Yes we all tend to ignore this part of our housecleaning including myself. Yet we spend more of our time on our beds than on any other piece of furniture in our homes.

     Remember it is wise to flip or turn your mattress each time you wash your sheets. I know the manufactures say to do this monthly maybe for the first six or seven months but for long wear, flip and turn each time you wash sheets.

Clean your Curtains and Drapes    

     Next on your list is to remove your curtains and launder them if they can be washed. If they are dry clean only and don't need cleaning grab a friend or spouse and take them outside for a good old fashioned shake down. You will be amazed the amount of dust that comes flying from the crevices and corners.  

     Now that you have pulled the furniture away from the wall to remove the curtains it provides a wonderful opportunity to run one of our dry sponges along the baseboards to clean both the baseboards and edge of the carpet. I know you vacuum this area regularly but a vacuum just does not collect all the dirt in the crevice between the baseboard and carpet.

This article may only be reproduced giving credit to Mary Findley referencing her book "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Cleaning" and her website www.goclean.com. All rights reserved worldwide.